The short answer
- A typical Popeyes meal is lighter: 510 calories against 1090.
- Raising Cane's gives more protein in a typical meal: 47g against 25g.
- Popeyes is lower in sodium: 1,440mg against 1,855mg.
- Per calorie, Raising Cane's is the leaner menu: 4.6g of protein per 100 calories against 4g.
These are medians across the complete meals in our data, not a judgement on any single order. Raising Cane's is build-your-own, so its 12 meals here are popular orders we assembled in the calculator. What you pick matters more than where you go, so the tables below show the best and worst of each.
The menus side by side
| Across all meals | Popeyes | Raising Cane's |
|---|---|---|
| Meals compared | 29 | 12 |
| Typical calories | 510 | 1090 |
| Typical protein | 25g | 47g |
| Protein per 100 cal | 4g | 4.6g |
| Typical sodium | 1,440mg | 1,855mg |
| Meals at 500 cal or less | 13 of 29 | 2 of 12 |
| Meals with 30g+ protein | 12 of 29 | 11 of 12 |
Green marks the better figure in each row: fewer calories, less sodium, more protein.
Item against item
The closest equivalents on each menu, one serving each.
Chicken sandwich
| Per serving | Chicken Sandwich-Classic | Chicken Sandwich |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 700 | 810 |
| Protein | 28g | 45g |
| Net carbs | 48g | 64g |
| Fat | 42g | 40g |
| Sodium | 1,440mg | 1,650mg |
Fries
| Per serving | Cajun Fries (Regular) | Crinkle-Cut Fries |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 270 | 420 |
| Protein | 3g | 5g |
| Net carbs | 28g | 47g |
| Fat | 15g | 21g |
| Sodium | 620mg | 320mg |
Highest-protein orders
Popeyes
| Order | Protein | Cal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenders - Classic or Spicy (5 pieces) | 58g | 650 | 2,840mg |
| Breast (Signature Chicken) | 52g | 620 | 1,780mg |
| Tenders - Blackened (5 pieces) | 47g | 280 | 1,430mg |
| 2-piece dark combo | 46g | 1190 | 2,800mg |
| 6 classic wings + mac & cheese | 46g | 920 | 2,940mg |
Raising Cane's
| Order | Protein | Cal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caniac Combo | 87g | 1810 | 3,480mg |
| Box Combo - The Posty Way | 64g | 1730 | 3,190mg |
| Box Combo | 60g | 1270 | 2,360mg |
| Box Combo, built from parts | 58g | 1370 | 2,420mg |
| Sandwich Combo | 50g | 1130 | 1,890mg |
Lightest meals
Popeyes
| Order | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg (Signature Chicken) | 200 | 15g | 540mg |
| Wing (Signature Chicken) | 220 | 14g | 630mg |
| Tenders - Blackened (5 pieces) | 280 | 47g | 1,430mg |
| Butterfly Shrimp (8 pieces) | 360 | 14g | 1,140mg |
| Hash Rounds | 360 | 3g | 450mg |
Raising Cane's
| Order | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kid's Combo (Maryland) | 400 | 33g | 600mg |
| 3 fingers + coleslaw | 480 | 37g | 1,000mg |
| Kid's Combo (Louisville, KY) | 600 | 33g | 1,180mg |
| Kid's Combo | 640 | 28g | 1,190mg |
| 4 fingers, no sides | 710 | 48g | 1,490mg |
Check your own order
Build the exact meal you would order in the Popeyes calculator and the Raising Cane's calculator, or let the macro finder search both for orders that fit your calories and protein.
Frequently asked questions
Is Popeyes or Raising Cane's lower in calories?
A typical Popeyes meal is lighter: 510 calories against 1090. "Typical" means the median of the complete meals in our data: 29 at Popeyes and 12 at Raising Cane's.
Which has more protein, Popeyes or Raising Cane's?
Raising Cane's gives more protein in a typical meal: 47g against 25g. The single highest-protein order is Tenders - Classic or Spicy (5 pieces) at Popeyes (58g) and Caniac Combo at Raising Cane's (87g).
What is the lightest meal at Popeyes and at Raising Cane's?
At Popeyes it is Leg (Signature Chicken) with 200 calories. At Raising Cane's it is Kid's Combo (Maryland) with 400 calories.
Chicken Sandwich-Classic vs Chicken Sandwich: which has fewer calories?
Chicken Sandwich-Classic (Popeyes) has 700 calories and 28g of protein. Chicken Sandwich (Raising Cane's) has 810 calories and 45g of protein.
Cajun Fries (Regular) vs Crinkle-Cut Fries: which has fewer calories?
Cajun Fries (Regular) (Popeyes) has 270 calories and 3g of protein. Crinkle-Cut Fries (Raising Cane's) has 420 calories and 5g of protein.
About this comparison
Figures come from Popeyes USA Nutrition Guide (November 2026) and Raising Cane's Allergen & Nutritional Information (August 2026). MacroTray is independent and not affiliated with either restaurant. Read our methodology.